


The Witch Queen

by dietcokeenthusiast



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Post-Canon, Romance, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:38:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dietcokeenthusiast/pseuds/dietcokeenthusiast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been years since the kingdom of Valla was restored, and the reign of Queen Corrin and Queen Rhajat. When a group of children visit Queen Rhajat's grave, expecting ghosts and exchanging horror stories, they instead find a family friend who shares the true stories about her reign.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Graveyard

**Author's Note:**

> Trying something new here; something bigger and more plot-based than my usual fluffy stuff (it'll still be there, but there's more going on). I hope you all like it. :)

Amara stared down at the white marble monument before her. It was pristine, almost too much so. The fact it was kept so far separate from the other markers in the castle graveyard just made it that much more unsettling. The stone was adorned with carvings of skulls and writing in a language Amara hadn’t ever seen before.

Then there was the fact that they were probably in enough trouble as is, sneaking in to the castle graveyard.

“S-so I just have to touch it? That’s not _that_ scary!”

Cassius grinned. “That’s only because you don’t know whose tombstone it is. Tell her, Remus.”

Amara gulped as Remus leaned in closer, lowering his voice. Trying to prove herself to her brother and his friend was seeming like a worse idea by the minute. “That grave,” he gestured over to it dramatically, “is the grave of the Witch Queen of Valla herself, Queen Rhajat. People used to say if you ever said anything bad about the royal family, Queen Rhajat would come in the night, and boom!” Amara shrieked as Remus stuck out his hands towards her. “She’d take you and use you in her dark magic experiments, and you’d _never_ come back.”

“That’s not all,” Cassius added. Amara looked up at her older brother. “I heard she infected an entire village with a plague, just to see what would happen.”

“She would also summon demons and zombies,” Remus chimed in. “She used them as her own personal army.”

“B-but that c-can’t be true!” Amara stammered. “In school they s-said Queen Corrin was s-super nice, and s-she wouldn’t l-let that happen?”

“That’s because the Witch Queen brainwashed her,” Remus replied. “She had spells that could make you believe _anything_.”

Cassius nodded. “That’s how she got Queen Corrin to fall in love with her, no matter what she did.”

“And poor King Kana,” Remus continued, and exaggerated look of devastation on his face. “Queen Rhajat didn’t give him any toys. Just old bones.”

Amara’s eyes widened in terror. “L-like from a p-person?”

“Yeah, from little girls especially!”

By now Amara was shaking. She knew it was making her look like the biggest scaredy cat ever to Cassius and Remus, but she couldn’t help it. Still. She wasn’t ready to give up yet. “B-b-but she’s dead now. She c-can’t h-hurt any of us now, r-r-right?”

“Maybe,” Remus shrugged. “But some people say her ghost still haunts this graveyard, waiting to steal the soul of anyone who touches her grave. In fact, she might even be right-“

“Behind you?”

Amara couldn’t hear herself scream over the shrieking of Remus and Cassius at the unfamiliar voice. She desperately wished now she had never told mom that Cassius wouldn’t let her play with him. Now they were all going to die because she had to go to the graveyard and it was all her fault.

After moments passed, and Amara realized she and the two boys were very much alive, she began to realize it was probably not the ghost of the Witch Queen. Slowly turning around, she saw an old woman dressed in a plain brown robe standing in the entranceway. Wisps of long, silver hair fell out of her hood, and concealed half of her face. While the wrinkles and scars left no mistake as to how old the woman was, she appeared strong for her age, her stance that of someone years younger.

A few more moments passed, and the old woman began to chuckle. Amara fought to steady her breath, while Cassius and Remus just exchanged glances with one another.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you that badly,” the woman finally spoke. “I just think Rhajat would have been very entertained by those stories.”

“W-we’re sorry, miss,” Cassius whimpered. “W-w-we didn’t mean to sneak in! We were just trying to g-give my little sister a scare! T-they’re just stupid stories.”

If Amara were not so frightened by the new arrival, she could have slapped her brother right then and there. How could he do that to her?!

Her thoughts were interrupted by Remus. “Nuh uh! All those stories are 100% true! That’s why they call her the Witch Queen. I’ve heard a lot more, too!”

“I’m sure you have,” the old woman replied. “Strange people tend to be the subject of some very ‘colorful’ stories, and Rhajat was quite strange.”

“H-how would some random old lady even know, anyways?” Remus snapped.

“I served in the castle during the Two Queens’ reign. I knew Rhajat quite well.”

Gathering her courage, Amara finally broker her silence. “D-d-did she b-brainwash y-you too?”

Another moment of silence, followed by more laughter from the old woman. “Oh gods, no! She was a powerful diviner, but even she couldn’t control people’s minds.”

“Sounds like something a brainwashed person would say,” Amara heard Remus grumble.

“There’s no ghost either, I’m afraid,” the old woman continued, either not hearing or not listening to Remus’ comment. “I come to visit every now and then, and I’ve never seen any ghosts. Though I’m sure she’s flattered you think she’d come back to torment the living.”

“Sounds like you think you know a lot about her,” Cassius began. “If we’re wrong, then what was she _really_ like?”

The old woman blinked. “I suppose I have a few stories I could share if you wanted to hear them. I’ll begin with the story of Rhajat and her noble retainers. I’m certain you all learned about the Nohr-Hoshido war and the Restoration of Valla from school, yes?”

Cassius and Remus nodded. Amara, not wanting to look foolish, nodded too, even though they were only just starting it.

“Well, our first story happens after that. Back in the early days of the Restoration, crime was a problem. Families were beginning to settle, and Valla was vulnerable. Bandits ransacked the land, and it was up to the Two Queens to protect them. This story begins with a request from Queen Corrin…”

\--

Rhajat plopped her head down on top of Corrin’s from behind, and lazily draped her arms over her shoulders. Her eyes struggled to remain open. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the whole “getting up early” thing Corrin did. She was sharper at night. More focused.

Corrin, sitting down to breakfast, set down her fork at the not entirely unwelcome intrusion. “Well good morning.”

“Hey.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Not nearly enough,” Rhajat grumbled.

“I had Jakob make coffee for the both of us. Yours is just right over there,” said Corrin, gesturing over to the mug sitting in front of an empty chair. The steam and the dark liquid were certainly enticing, but she wasn’t quite ready to move just yet.

“In a minute. Too comfortable.”

Corrin chuckled. “As long as you grab it before my breakfast gets cold this time.”

Rhajat smirked and planted a kiss on the top of Corrin’s head.

\---

“Ewwwwwwww!” Cassius groaned.

“Gross!” Remus whined.

The old woman just rolled her eyes. Amara considered telling her brother off for his rudeness and for interrupting the story, but the old woman was the first to respond. “My first interruption already? I would assume that even boys your age can handle the fact that these are two queens.”

“We can! We just wanna hear the good stuff!” Cassius replied.

“Yeah, cut out the mushy crap and get to the action!” Remus added.

“Well,” the old woman began, “if my audience agrees that it’s not wanted, I can always skip these parts.”

Amara finally decided to speak up. After how they treated her, she wasn’t going to let _them_ decide how the old lady told the story. “W-well I think it’s cute!”

The old woman turned to smile at her. Or at least what Amara thought was a smile beneath the curtain of grey hair and the hood. “Well, it seems at least one of my listeners appreciates it, so I suppose I can continue.”

Cassius and Remus huffed indignantly, while Amara grinned smugly.

“Now then…”

\--

Rhajat smirked and planted a kiss on the top of Corrin’s head. “As you wish.” She gave her wife a final squeeze before making her way to her seat, taking a long drink from the mug. It was bitter, rich, and warm. Not quite as hot as she liked it, but given the choice between piping hot coffee and a few more minutes to adjust to the morning, she would take the extra few minutes every time. She gazed over at Corrin as she finally set the mug down. “So what do we have to do today?”

Corrin shifted in her chair. “A group of citizens from the last village attacked want to meet with us and demand more aid for the bandit attacks. They’ve just been worsening.”

Rhajat sighed. “What do they even want from us? We’re already stretched thin as it is!”

“I know, Rhaj,” Corrin sighed. “We’ve barely had time to rebuild our forces since the war. We have to remember though, it’s our people who are right in the way of suffering. We have to be compassionate.”

Rhajat nodded. She hadn’t intended her comment to come off so callously. She was just frustrated at how little they could do to stop the attacks. “You know,” she lowered her voice, “I’ve been looking to alternatives to expanding our forces, and-“

“No faceless, Rhajat,” Corrin interrupted, not even looking up from her plate.

“Hmph. That’s no fun.” Rhajat pouted as she finished off the rest of her coffee in a huff, earning an amused chortle from Corrin.

“I actually had something else in mind for if you wanted some followers.”

Rhajat raised an eyebrow, hoping the conversation wasn’t going to go the way she was expecting.. “What?”

“You know, it’s really quite strange for a member of the royal family to not have a retainer.”

Rhajat groaned. It was. “Look, you and Kana are the only people I need around me. I like being alone, and you know I do.”

“All I’m saying is you should have someone to help you out,” Corrin replied evenly. “I have Jakob and Silas, Kana’s been thinking about it himself.

Rhajat’s voice was flat. “That’s nice. Still don’t need it.”

“Rhaj,” Corrin reached across the table to take Rhajat’s hand, “it’s been dangerous out there, and I know you like to go out after dark. I’ve been getting worried about you.”

Rhajat, though warmed by the contact, still protested. “I have it under control,” she grumbled, turning her gaze away.

Corrin didn’t respond. Rhajat just felt her thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. As the silence lingered, she looked back to see a look of genuine worry on her beloved’s face. As much as Rhajat hated to be wrong, she hated upsetting Corrin more.

“…Can I think about it?” She finally asked.

“Actually,” Corrin started, a thin smile crossing her lips, “I might have already sent some messages.”

Rhajat frowned. Sometimes she couldn’t believe Corrin. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Who did you ask for?”

“Selkie and Soleil.”

Rhajat shuddered. She really did like the kitsune, but was usually worn out by their meetings. Having her as a retainer was going to be exhausting. Of course, not half as exhausting as Soleil, with her off-putting overconfidence and absolutely ridiculous advances.

Corrin seemed to pick up on Rhajat’s hesitation right away. “Can you just give them a try? If it’s not a good fit, I won’t bug you again.”

Rhajat cursed herself for looking at Corrin again, only to fall victim to her face. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. If it made her beloved happy, then she could certainly tolerate the presence of a few retainers.

Then she was struck with an idea.

Corrin only requested she try them out. She didn’t specify how Rhajat was to try them.


	2. The Black Bear Clan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Old Woman tells the story of Rhajat and her retainers. Soleil and Selkie think a mission going up against the largest bandit gang in Valla is just a test, but Rhajat has ulterior motives.

“I knew it!” Remus exclaimed. “I told you guys, Rhajat is evil! She’s going to come up with some trick to kill them.”

“No way!” Cassius replied. “They’re gonna go beat up the bandits!”

Remus rolled his eyes. “Cassius, she’s called the Witch Queen. Are you stupid or something?”

“You’re the stupid one! It’s so obvious how this is gonna go.”

The old woman sighed. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, children, but could we perhaps not start fighting in a graveyard?”

“He started it!” Cassius cried.

The old woman just ignored him, and turned her attention to Amara. “I would be interested to know what you think will happen, young lady.”

Amara gulped. She thought she was safe from being put on the spot outside of school, but now this? “M-maybe she finds a way to make friends with the bandits?”

Cassius snorted. “Pffft. Don’t be such a dweeb! Of course she won’t!” Amara responded by sticking out her tongue.

“The brat’s right, for once,” Remus chimed in. “Only because she’s going to cut a deal with them.”

“Maybe we should just continue the story,” the old woman interrupted, patiently, yet firmly. “Now where were we…”

\--

“Rhajat! You are looking as cute as ever,” said Soleil, the most absurd grin spread over her face. “I’m not sure how, but your hair looks even more be-“

“ _Stop._ ” Already Rhajat was starting to regret saying yes to Corrin.

Soleil rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry! You know how I get around cu- I mean, respectable and powerful diviners!”

Rhajat sighed in exasperation. “Look, just carry your things to your chambers, and get back out here. I’ve got an important job that needs to get started.”

“Hi Rhajat!” A cheerful voice rang through the air, and before Rhajat could react, she felt herself being squeezed tightly. Through the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of blonde hair and fox ears.

“Hnngh! Hello, Selkie,” she grunted, somewhat short of breath from the grip.

Selkie giggled. “I can’t believe I’m going to be your retainer! That means we can play all the time!”

“Yes, well, it’s not confirmed just yet,” Rhajat grumbled, wiggling out of Selkie’s grip. “Unless the gods have chosen you to give me more of their dark blessings, that is.”

Selkie recoiled. “Ugh! Seriously, Rhajat?”

Rhajat cackled. “Only kidding.”

Soleil decided it was her turn to cut in. “Hey there Selkie! Can I help you with your bags? Assuming I don’t get lost in your eyes on the way to your room.”

Selkie tilted her head. “Why would you get lost in my eyes, silly? They’re in my head!”

Soleil blinked. “So, can I help you then?”

Selkie grinned. “Sure! That’s super nice of you!” Soleil took Selkie’s bags in her other hand, and the two made their way to the guest wing. Rhajat muttered curses to herself when they were out of earshot. Already she was starting to have her fill of having retainers. Especially ones so loud and… bubbly. She wondered why they couldn’t just appreciate a good comfortable silence.

_Just wait, though. Once you enact your plan, that’s one problem taken care of…_

When the two returned, Rhajat immediately called them to attention. “All right. Corrin told you both what’s happening here, right? With the bandits?”

Selkie tilted her head, a confused look on her face. Soleil just shrugged.

Rhajat held her palm to her forehead. “Ugh. Well, we have a problem with them, a big problem. Our new citizens are trying to settle in here, and they’re taking advantage of how we’re weak right now. We’re going to stop them.”

Soleil grinned. “No problems, beautiful! Just let me know who I’m commanding and I’ll-“

Rhajat cut her off. “No one.”

When all she got from her would-be retainers was a blank stare, she continued. “This is something just the three of us are going to do.”

“That’s not fair, though!” Selkie whined. “There’s only three of us, and I bet, like, HUNDREDS of them!”

“Exactly,” Rhajat smirked. “Which is why we’re going to even the odds. One word: assassination.”

Soleil raised her hand. “Um, I’m not sure if you’ve seen me dance before, but I don’t think I’m that good when it comes to stealth.”

“All you two need to do is keep a lookout, and if things go wrong fight a few of them. Right now, the biggest group of bandits are the Black Bear Clan. They’ve robbed entire villages, and they’re armed to the teeth. What they don’t know, though, is that I know the tavern where their leader, Bjorn, likes to drink. A big army will get killed, but a few of us sneaking in…” Rhajat cackled as she dragged her finger across her neck. Soleil and Selkie exchanged a worried glance. “We take his head, put it on a pike for everyone to see, and set an example for the rest of these bandits of just what happens when you prey on the weak.”

Soleil applauded awkwardly. “Oookay?”

“This doesn’t sound like fun,” Selkie moped. “Why do I want to carry around some gross bandit’s head?”

“Well, if we succeed, then you two will be my retainers for good.” Rhajat was no fool. She knew that there’d be plenty of defence against an assassination attempt. The chances they would succeed were slim to none. In searching the archives, though, she found some of the blueprints used in the village where (name) made their base, so she was able to plan out the necessary escape route. She might have wanted failure, but she wanted Soleil and Selkie to be safe, too. This way, she’d be happy and alone, and the two of them would be safe. “So, are you with me?”

A few moments of hesitation passed, before Soleil grinned her cocky grin and flicked her hair out of her face. “I’m with you!”

Selkie’s ears perked up at Soleil’s acceptance, and she began to bounce on the balls of her feet. “Let’s play, then!”

\--

Rhajat peered from their position behind the boulder. The tavern was fairly heavily guarded, at least six guards posted outside with only the Dark Gods knowing how many more were inside. All they needed, though, was those six. They’d be no problem on their own, but they needed to do it without alerting anyone.

“Do you think they’ll want to roll down the hill with us?” Selkie asked.

Rhajat shuddered, and glared at her. “Keep it down, would you!” She whispered. “We don’t want to alert them to our presence.”

Selkie blinked. “Oh, are we going to sneak up and scare them?”

Rhajat lowered her head. “Sure. That’s what we’ll do. With our sharp pointy things”

“Good! Because that’s how I’m best at scaring people,” Soleil boasted, resting a hand on Selkie’s shoulder. “Of course, I bet I’m not half as graceful as you, Selkie.”

Selkie giggled. “Gee, thanks Soleil!”

“Would you two shut up!?” Rhajat immediately clapped her hand to her mouth as she realized how loud she was. “Okay, so I’ll summon a rabbit spirit, and lure them over here.”

“Can I play with the bunny?” Selkie asked.

“ _No,_ Selkie,” Rhajat groaned.

Soleil began. “Can I-“

“ _No._ Look, we lure the three guards on the west side over here, take them out, slip behind the tavern, and the window should give us a clear view inside. I conjure a spell, no more Bjorn of the Black Bear Clan. Got it?”

To Rhajat’s relief, the pair nodded.

“Okay then. Now.”

Whatever Rhajat thought about planning things out with Soleil and Selkie, they were very good at execution. With a muttered incantation and a small gesture, a glowing rabbit spirit was conjured on the other side of the boulder. Just as she expected, the three guards on the west side came close. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the Rabbit spirit to attack, while Soleil and Selkie came out from either side of the boulder, flanking them and putting them down before they had a chance to help. Rhajat peeked out from behind the boulder, and gave them a thumbs up. The trio quickly advanced to the tavern wall, and rounded the corner, where-

 _Thunk_. Rhajat ran face first into the wrong side of the stable, and fell flat on her back. _The stable? That can’t be right! I checked the damned blueprints myself!_

It was a few moments before she felt her two compatriots shaking her back to awareness. “Uh, Rhajat? Are you okay?” Soleil asked.

“I’m fine!” She snapped. “This just wasn’t supposed to be here.”

“Well, uh, don’t look now, but I don’t think they are either…”

Standing in front of them were a number of Black Bear Clan bandits, with more pouring out from the front door and running to the side. Rhajat glanced to the left and right. They were completely surrounded. Powerful as she was, she knew an impossible battle when she saw it.

“Take their weapons, lads! Bind em’ up all nice for the chief too!”

Rhajat growled as two large men grabbed her by the arms, snatching her satchel of scrolls. Selkie and Soleil fared no better as they were relieved of their Beaststone and sword respectively. Rhajat grunted in pain as she felt her arms jerked unnaturally behind her, the bandits tightening ropes around her wrists.

Then came the sound of heavy footsteps. Increasing in volume with each one. Finally, Rhajat was looking down at a pair of hide boots. “Well, what have we here?”

Glancing up, Rhajat took in the sight of a man at least seven feet tall. He was clad in thick armor, and his long beard was groomed into braids. The bearskin robe he wore served to make him even more of an imposing figure. As though he engraved axe resting at his side wasn’t enough. There was no mistaking it; it was Bjorn.

“Looks like we have ourselves a lost little girl, boys,” he bellowed, his eyes looking Rhajat up and down, and focusing on her ring. “Well I’ll be. This isn’t no ordinary little girl. This here’s Queen bloody Rhajat herself!”

The men behind him erupted into cheers, knowing full well what they had accomplished. All Rhajat could do was look back at the ground, embarrassed of her complete and utter failure. “The ransom on you is going be quite the pretty penny, you know that, right?”

Glancing back up for a moment, she saw Bjorn kneeling in front of her. A disgusted look on her face, she spat, catching him right between the eyes.

Bjorn chuckled for a moment, before catching her in the jaw with a right hook. Rhajat felt too dizzy to feel any sort of pain, and went limp in the grasp of the guards holding her. She heard Soleil and Selkie begin to scream and protest.

“Lock them up, boys. Soon, the Black Bear Clan will be the wealthiest bandits in all of Valla!”

\--

Rhajat hung her head, her face still sore from Bjorn’s punch. Her bindings were tight, and she had no experience escaping from situations like this without her scrolls. She hated herself for being too weak to handle these common criminals. She hated herself for her poor planning, when she was supposed to be better. Most of all, though, she hated herself for the worry she would be causing Corrin and Kana.

Then, Rhajat knew exactly how she was going to get out of this mess. She whistled loudly. “Hey! The idiot with the sword!”

The guard turned to glare at Rhajat. “Watch yer mouth, or I’ll be sending the queen your tongue!”

Rhajat scoffed. “Surprised you’d even know where to find it, considering how you’re too dumb to see an opportunity staring you right in the face.”

The guard moved towards her angrily, drawing his sword. “Final warning, witch!”

Rhajat rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll spell it out for you. See my friend to the right of me?” She tilted her head to Selkie. “That’s a kitsune. A vessel of the gods, and one of the rarest pelts that you’ll ever find, especially outside of Hoshido.”

Selkie’s eyes widened in horror as the guard turned to her, sizing her up. “She don’t look like she’s got much of a pelt. ‘Sides that tail of hers.”

“That’s because she’s in human form. If you were to get her in to her beast form, though, that would give you enough fur for hundreds and thousands of gold. All to yourself!” Rhajat grinned wickedly.

Soleil glared at her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Rhajat?!”

“Making a deal,” Rhajat replied cooly, turning her attention back to the guard. “The ransom for me, the price for the pelt, your leader’s going to keep most of that for himself. This money could be all yours. You could manage your own gang.” She giggled. “You’d have men who’d be loyal to you. Who’d kill for you.”

The guard paused for a moment. “And how exactly do I get her in beast form?”

Rhajat dropped her voice, her grin getting wider. “That’s the fun part. That stone you took from her. That’s the key to her transformation.”

“I-I’m not going to transform for this creep! Or you, Rhajat!” Selkie spat.

“I didn’t think you would.  Which is why when this gentleman gives you the stone, he’s going to put his blade to Soleil’s throat.”

The look on Selkie’s face was one of utter terror as Soleil began struggling against her bindings angrily. “H-how could you do this to us, Rhajat?! I swear I’ll kill you!”

Rhajat cackled. “I’d like to see you try!”

The guard nodded, and smirked. “Right then, so I give the one with the ears the stone, and-“

“You need to untie me and give me my scrolls. She’ll break out of her bindings once she transforms, and you need me to keep her down.”

“And just how can I trust you?”

“Because I never wanted these two with me!” Rhajat snarled. “They’re worthless lackeys, only here because the queen decided I can’t handle myself. Why do you think I took them on an impossible mission like this? I’ll help you kill them, and help you sneak away with your fortune.” By now Soleil was cursing nonstop at Rhajat, and Selkie had fallen completely silent outside of the occasional whimper, the hurt of Rhajat’s betrayal plain on her face.

The guard let out a laugh. “You drive a hard bargain, queen. Right then!” He made his way over to the chest, grabbing a set of scrolls, and the beast stone. He set the stone on Selkie’s lap, and cut Rhajat’s bindings, handing her the scrolls. Taking a few moments to flex her hands, she unfurled the scroll for conjuring the snake spirit. Meanwhile, the mercenary had moved behind Soleil and pressed his blade to her neck.

Soleil sputtered and cried. “R-r-rhajat! You c-c-can still stop…”

Rhajat just shook her head, and turned to Selkie, mustering the coldest look she could. “You want to save her, right?”

Selkie growled as the Beaststone began to glow, her shape beginning to change. In a flash of light, she ripped herself free of the bindings, only to find her legs tied together by a snake spirit conjured by Rhajat.

“Quick!” Rhajat spoke, gesturing for the snake to tighten its grip, drawing a sharp yelp from Selkie. “Kill her now!”

“With pleasure!” With that, the guard removed his blade from Soleil’s throat and started toward Selkie, her whimpering growing louder as he closed the distance between them. Once he was within striking distance, he raised his sword, and-

The snake spirit untangled itself from Selkie’s legs, flying up and wrapping itself around his throat. Though he struggled for a moment, Rhajat gestured for it to tighten, sending him crashing to his knees, his face turning red, and then purple. Finally, he fell face first onto the ground, unmoving.

With the guard down, Rhajat grabbed his sword and used it to cut Soleil free, handing it to her. Soleil just stared blankly at the sword and Rhajat.

“W-what the hell was that?”

“My plan to get us out of here,” said Rhajat. “Now take the sword.”

Hesitantly, Soleil took the sword, and gave it a couple of practice swings. “Maybe you could have given us a bit of warning?”

Rhajat lowered her head. “I apologize. I didn’t want to risk him overhearing my plan. Please forgive me.”

Soleil paused a moment before nodding, a hint of a smile returning to her face

Selkie, on the other hand, still in her fox form, was still visibly shook up from the experience. Her tail was tucked between her legs, and her voice was shaky. “T-that was r-r-really mean R-rhajat… I was so scared!”

A look of concern immediately came across Rhajat’s face. She knew Soleil would be able to handle things, but Selkie was a different story. Hurriedly, she knelt down beside Selkie. “I know…” she spoke softly, scratching behind Selkie’s ears. “I had to think quickly. I’m sorry I upset you.”

Selkie just whimpered in response.

“You’re a good friend, Selkie. I would never hurt you like that on purpose. Besides,” she smirked, “would I ever do anything to make the Dark Gods displeased with me?

After a moment of hesitation, Selkie leaned in to the petting, letting Rhajat know she was forgiven.

“So was this all part of your plan, then?” Soleil asked. “Pretty _and_ smart!”

Rhajat sighed. She knew now probably wasn’t the best time for it, but her conscience wouldn’t let her stay completely silent. “Look, I… I might not have been completely lying earlier,” she turned her head so she wouldn’t have to look at Selkie’s drooping ears or Soleil’s eyes. “I like working alone, so my plan was supposed to fail, so Corrin would leave me alone about choosing retainers. I had it planned out that we escaped safely. I didn’t think they “renovated” the place. I’m sorry.”

The silence was every bit as awful as Rhajat expected, the two of them just staring at her. She had been so horrible to them, they’d have been completely justified in leaving her to the bandits. She didn’t deserve their friendship, she-

Her destructive thoughts were interrupted by a now human Selkie’s hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you like us? I thought we were going to be friends now…”

“No, we are!” Rhajat insisted. “It’s just that if you were my retainers, you’d never be away from me, and I need alone time.”

“You could have always just asked, you know,” Soleil cut in. “I mean, for every cutie out there who appreciates me, there’s a lot more who ask me to leave them alone. I’m used to it!”

“She’s right. We don’t need to play _all_ the time,” Selkie insisted. “You can have all the boring alone time you want.”

Rhajat raised an eyebrow. “You mean it?” Both women nodded emphatically in response. “Heh. I guess I really don’t deserve you two.”

Soleil smirked. “Well, if you want to make it up to us? Let’s finish off these bandits!”

“Yeah!” Selkie grinned. “I wanna show them what happens when you don’t play fair!”

A wicked grin spread across Rhajat’s face. There was nothing like a bit of justified violence to cheer her up. “Okay, so here’s the plan…”

\--

The silence was broken by the sound of a kitsune breaking through the door, snarling and leaping off the balcony onto one of the bandits below. His screams were short-lived as Selkie went right for the throat.

The sight of a giant fox suddenly appearing from out of nowhere and attacking one of them sent the room into chaos. Some of the men began shaking, struggling to get away, while others reached for their weapons, desperate to fight off the interloper before it attacked more of them. Bjorn got up from his seat and reached for his battle axe, ready to take on the new threat.

Then they heard the sound of chanting and dark incantations, the air in front of them seeming to glow as a great red ox materialized before them. Mere moments after phasing into existence, it began to charge, sending tables and bodies flying about. Meanwhile, Selkie leapt from prey to prey, slashing and biting and deftly rolling out of the way of their attacks. Rhajat paused her incantations from the balcony for a moment to cackle, and locked eyes with Bjorn.

“That’s her men! The royal little bitch!” He bellowed. “Kill her first!”

A number of the men were about to comply and charged up the stairs, when Soleil stepped out from behind Rhajat. “You need to get through me first!” Blocking off access to Rhajat, Soleil ran the first through, and threw him into the men behind him, sending them all tumbling down the stairs. From there, Soleil leapt off the top of the stairs, bringing her sword down on the crowd beneath her, cries from the pile ringing out into the tavern.

 _All according to plan,_ Rhajat thought to herself as she began a new chant, her fingertips burning as she conjured a great bird spirit, sending it straight for Bjorn. The mercenary captain was stymie for a moment, swinging at the bird as it opened up gashes on his face, but before long was able to hit the spirit with his axe, causing it to dissipate. “Is that all you have, sorceress?”

“There’s more,” Rhajat grinned, drawing the shape of a face with her hands in front of her. Her voice became low, guttural, as she conjured a great demon’s head from thin air. She could feel the dark energy become more desperate to escape her grasp, crying out in pain as the thrashing of it snapped one of her fingers back. Her muscles burning from exertion, though, she was still able to set the demon on its target, straight for Bjorn. He managed to roll out of the way at the last second, the demon tearing a hole through the tavern wall. _Curses!_

Then, she heard a loud yelp as out of the corner of her eye, one of the bandits had managed to strike Selkie in the head with his club, hard. She was bleeding from a wound on her head, and crumpled to the floor. Before Rhajat could react, though, she heard a familiar voice. “Stay away from her!” Soleil roared, vaulting the railing to the staircase and hacking deep into the club wielder’s chest.

Rhajat sighed in relief, when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her thigh. Glancing down, she saw that a sizeable hand axe had buried itself in her leg. She was in too much shock to even scream. _Bjorn_. Her leg was badly bleeding as Rhajat fell prone. It was so stupid; she should never have taken her eyes off him, but hearing Selkie’s cry panicked her.

A cruel, boisterous laugh rang from Bjorn’s throat. “Looks like the Queen didn’t have a trick up her sleeve for that one!” He smiled wickedly as he drew another hand axe, pulling his arm back.

Rhajat didn’t have the energy left to conjure a desperate spell; she was as good as dead. Leaning back against the wall, she tried her best to ignore the pain, and think of her wife and son.

Then came a roar, as Selkie flew at him with full force, knocking him into the fireplace. Bjorn’s screams pierced Rhajat’s ear as he stumbled about the tavern, only to be brought to his knees by a slash from Soleil. His weapon fell out of his hand as Selkie launched one final attack from behind, biting at the back of his knee.

She caught the panicked expression Soleil’s face as she glanced up at the balcony. “RHAJAT!” She hurried up the stairs and reached into her pouch, producing a large bottle. In seconds, she was kneeling right beside her. “Hang on, Rhajat, hang on! I’ve got something here, but I have to move this axe. Okay?”

Rhajat, feeling herself get more lightheaded by the second, strained to face Soleil. She knew this was going to hurt. “Do it.”

Nothing could have prepared her for how it felt for the axe to be removed; she was certain all of Valla could hear her shriek. The sensation of the vulnerary being poured onto the wound was almost as painful. She felt a hand on her shoulder. “You’re doing good, Rhajat! This should stop the bleeding until you see a healer, but you _need_ a healer.”

Rhajat panted heavily for a few moments, trying to refocus the room after the agony she was in. As Soleil’s face became clear, she winced. “Good enough.”

Soleil laughed nervously. “That’s the spirit, beautiful!”

Rhajat had no energy left to chide Soleil as she felt herself picked up and carried down the stairs. The tavern was in ruins; furniture and walls were destroyed, and the bodies of the bandits who stood opposed to them littered the ground. Most of note, however, was Selkie standing over a bound Bjorn, his robe and a good portion of his bear lost to the flames, his face bearing the scars of the encounter.

Selkie turned her attention away from her prisoner for a moment. “Oh no! Rhaj! Are you okay?” Her breath audibly hitched. “Please be okay, please please…”

“I’ll be fine,” Rhajat croaked. “Just need a good healer after this. I promise”

Selkie took a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes, and nodded.

“So then,” Soleil began. “What should we do with him?”

Rhajat turned her head to look at Bjorn, who refused to meet any of their gazes. It’d be easy to grant him death at this point. He certainly deserved it after everything he had done. He was no different than any of the others they had to get through to get to him. Now he was bound, helpless, and vulnerable to any of them.

Still, at that moment, Rhajat couldn’t let go of Corrin’s call for compassion. While she meant compassion for his victims, she remembered how during the war, she would always try to find a way other than killing, no matter how badly someone deserved it. She would always say there was enough death in the world without finding a way to add to it. Thinking of how worried Corrin would be already, she didn’t want to do anything else to upset her.

That, or maybe she really was getting soft.

“We’re taking him back with us.”

“What?” Soleil asked. “Isn’t that kind of out of character for you?”

Rhajat winced again. “Must be my wife rubbing off on me. It’ll be easier to make an example of him to the others if he’s alive. Let them all know that three women brought him and the Black Bear Clan down.”

Bjorn snorted. “What’s the matter, girl? Too pathetic to finish the job?”

Rhajat glanced over at Selkie. “Can you gag him, please?”

With that, Selkie removed his boot and one of his socks, and despite his loud protestations, popped the rolled up sock in his mouth and secured it with rope. “There, now this big mean jerk can’t be rude on the way home!”

Rhajat giggled, only to cut herself off when she realized how painful it was to do that. “All right then. Let’s go home then, faithful retainers.”

\--

“And that is the story of Rhajat, the Black Bear Clan, and her right and left hand women.”

“Wow. That was actually kind of cool,” said Cassius. “I like the part when Soleil jumped over the railing to save Selkie! Or when Rhajat summoned the demon!”

Remus groaned. “Sure, so cool. And fake! You actually expect us to believe the Witch Queen would spare someone in her clutches? And that three people can stop an entire bandit gang?”

The old woman shrugged. “You can believe whatever you wish to believe, young man. I’m only telling you the story I know.”

“Lay off her, Remus,” Cassius added. “It was a good story.”

“Pffft. That’s all it is!” Remus snarked.

Cassius just rolled his eyes. “Miss, do you think you can tell another?”

The old woman paused for a moment. “I’ll tell you what. If you come back next week, I’ll tell you another story. A woman my age doesn’t have many friends left, and I could use the company.”

“Of course, miss!” Cassius chirped.

“Ugh. When did you get so lame, Cassius?”

“Shut up, Remus!”

“No, you shut up!”

The old woman sighed in exasperation once more, as though she were reconsidering her offer to the two boys.

Amara on the other hand, hadn’t moved or shut her jaw since the story ended. She was still in awe of how powerful a diviner the Queen really was, and how brave her retainers were. The next time they talked about the history of Valla in school, she was going to have a lot to say.


	3. A Simple Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin and Rhajat often hear the requests of their subjects, but when a farmer asks them for help solving a dispute, things go further than they anticipated.

****“Think she’ll be here?” Amara asked.

Cassius nodded. “Sure she will! I mean, it’s not like she’s got anything better to do, right?”

Remus snorted. “I don’t see what you’re so excited about. She’s just gonna tell more made up stories about the Witch Queen.”

“They’re not made up!” Amara shot back in a huff. “You’re just mad because you were all wrong about Queen Rhajat.”

“Was not! And what does a baby like you know about what really happened anyways?”

“Hey, cool it,” Cassius warned, stepping between the two. “If you think it’s all fake, it’s not like you need to be here, you know.”

“Hey, someone has to be here to set you two straight about what _really_ happened,” said Remus. “Besides, someone needs to be here in case you two get scared by the graveyard like last time.”

“Hmph! You were just as scared,” Amara shot back.

“Was not!

“Was too!”

“She’s right,” Cassius added. “You were really scared too.”

“Hey, whose side are you on, anyways?” Remus asked indignantly.

“Well, I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.” Everyone turned to look at the source of the new voice. Just as she had said, the old woman was there.

“Oh, uh, sorry miss,” said Cassius.

“No need to be sorry,” the old woman replied with a smile. “I’m just glad you decided to come by after all.”

Amara could barely contain her excitement. “Of course we did! The last story was sooooo cool!”

The old woman chuckled. “Well I’m glad you enjoyed it, dear.”

“Hmph, I guess it was kind of fun to listen to,” Remus grumbled. The old woman just rolled her eyes in response.

“So what’s the story for today?” Cassius asked. “Is about Rhajat fighting another bandit army? Is she going to fight some horrible monster?”

“Think smaller,” said the old woman. “Not all battles are fought against impossible odds. Some are more a test of the mind than of strength.”

“Sounds boring,” said Remus.

“Well perhaps your friends might still enjoy hearing it,” replied the old woman. “Not everything a good ruler does can be an epic battle. Sometimes, it involves just a simple request for help…”

\---

“No.”

“But Queen Rhajat, all I need is a small investment to help get my business started,” the merchant insisted. “Your ten thousand gold pieces will help make the Vallite economy the strongest of the three kingdoms!”

“No,” Rhajat repeated, resting her forehead against her palm.

“Your majesty, I assure you that opportunities such as this don’t come along very often. Don’t  you care about your people? Investing in something like this will pay dividends for all the-“

“No!” Rhajat snapped. “I am not going to pay you ten thousand gold to tie a pitchfork to a shovel and then give it some sort of absurd name!”

“If the Shov-fork doesn’t work for you, we can always change it to something else. Perhaps Pitchel?”

Rhajat blinked. “That changes absolutely everything. My wife and I would be happy to invest in your new project.”

The merchant’s eyes widened. “Truly? You mean it?”

“No. Now get out.”

The merchant let out a derisive snort before turning away from the thrones. “You’ll regret being so dismissive when Nohr becomes and agricultural powerhouse!”

Rhajat leaned closer to Corrin, keeping her voice low. “Just one hex? I’d be doing Valla a favor by making him silent for a few days.”

“Rhaj…”

“As you wish, dear,” Rhajat grumbled, plopping back down in her seat. It was tempting to go ahead with the curses anyways, since she had spent almost the entire day listening to the most inane requests she ever could have imagined. She’d never do anything to hurt anyone,  just… maybe discourage some of the more frivolous of her subjects.

Still, Rhajat was well aware of old adage: happy wife, happy life. And it did so please her to see Corrin happy.

“How many more do we have left?” Rhajat asked.

“About five left today,” Corrin replied. “I know it’s frustrating, but try to be understanding of the people who come to see us.”

“I am,” said Rhajat. “I just wish that the people who came here actually needed our help and weren’t just looking for us to give away the royal treasury or complain about what color their neighbor painted their roof. It’s a waste of our time and a waste of our talents.”

“Don’t think of it that way, love,” Corrin replied, giving her hand a squeeze. “Think of it as keeping the citizens happy.”

Rhajat gave a squeeze back. “Hm. I suppose if it keeps one particular citizen happy I can live with that.”

Corrin smiled. “It does. Shall we bring in the next one?”

Rhajat nodded, and gestured to the guards to let the next one in. A slight woman with dark hair, dressed in plain clothes entered, immediately prostrating herself before the throne. “Y-yer majesties, It’s such an honor to-“

“Stop,” interrupted Rhajat. “There’s no need for that.”

The woman looked up. “Queen Rhajat?”

“What my wife means is that there’s no need for you to be on your knees,” Corrin explained. “To us, all citizens of Valla are valued, and all are worthy. You can stand if you wish.” Rhajat smiled to herself. She admired how her beloved had such a way with words, a skill that seemed to elude her no matter how many royal functions she attended.

“T-Thank you,” the woman stammered, getting up to her feet. “The name’s Alexandra, I’m a farmer just outside the city walls. I-I come here to a-ask your help with something.”

 _Of course you do,_ Rhajat thought to herself. For some reason, though, she gave no indication of her frustrations as she did with the others. There was something about this woman that compelled her to listen. “What is it, then?”

“It’s a problem with my neighbor,” Alexandra began. “My fence keeps getting broke, and then before I get the chance to fix it, he’s moved the posts forward and taken some of my land. He been doing this for months now. He says it’s the coyotes, and that I’m just imagining things, but I know better! My mama didn’t raise some fool girl who doesn’t know when she’s being tricked!”

“Why come to us, though?” Corrin asked. “Surely the city guard would intervene.”

“They haven’t done a thing,” Said Alexandra. “We ain’t had the deeds for our property drawn up since settling here, and they say they can’t do nothing without it, even though we’ve been waiting on it for almost a year.”

Rhajat winced. It was likely that her case had slipped through the cracks somehow. There was so much to manage with restoring Valla that mistakes were going to get made when it came to bureaucracy. “So what do you want from us?”

“I may not have ever been in school, but we all know about the war you both fought in,” said Alexandra. “You know all about keeping people safe and putting the wrong kind of people in their place. I want you to watch over the fence with me tonight, so we can either catch him red handed or figured out a way for him to stop him taking any more land before I get the deed.”

Corrin nodded. “Alexandra, I’m sorry, but this isn’t really a matter for us to deal w-“

“We’ll be there tonight.”

Corrin turned to look at Rhajat as though she had gone absolutely mad. In truth, Rhajat wasn’t entirely sure why she had volunteered either. Perhaps it was because listening to requests from their subjects had long lost its lustre. Perhaps it was because she felt bad that no one else had made an effort to help her.  Perhaps it was because she was reminded of another dark-haired farmer who had been very dear to Rhajat.  Regardless, though, Rhajat was prepared to step in. “At sunset, we’ll meet you at your farmhouse.”

Alexandra eyes had a look of sheer joy. “Thank you! T-thank you both so much! I ain’t got a lot, but I promise I’ll give you something. My husband always told me I was a good cook. I should cook something up for you both tonight!”

Rhajat smirked. “Perfect. Corrin and I will be there.”

Alexandra prostrated herself once more. “Thank you both so much, from the bottom of my heart!” With that, she scurried to the door, slipping out quickly. As soon as the door shut behind her, Corrin turned to Rhajat. “Rhaj, why did you volunteer us to go to this woman’s house?”

“We’re here to make the citizens happy, remember? I haven’t eaten a farmer’s meal since I last visited mother, anyways,” Rhajat giggled. “I know for a fact you miss mother’s cooking too.”

Corrin paused for a moment, then sighed. “Her cooking better be at _least_ as good as Mozu’s.”

Rhajat leaned in to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. “It had.”

\--

Rhajat knocked again on the door. More impatiently this time. “Alexandra, it’s us. Open up already.”

She and Corrin were greeted by more silence. This was the third time they had bothered knocking on the door, and yet nothing. Rhajat felt herself growing more and more frustrated. While she was hardly one for formalities or any other royal nonsense, she had expected more of a reception than _this,_ especially given why they were here.

Rhajat grumbled to herself as she raised her fist to knock again, when her wife reached for the door handle, pushing it open. The two exchanged a concerned look. _Unlocked. Strange._

Rhajat was the first to make her way in, peering around the room. The hearth was lit, but there was no food on the stove, no voices, no signs of life whatsoever. She was absolutely certain she had told Alexandra they would meet at sunset.

“Alexandra?” Corrin called out. “It’s Corrin and Rhajat, we’re here just like we promised.”

More silence.

Rhajat felt her stomach grumble. The feeling just added to her frustrations. “Hey, do you want our help or not?”

Silence still. Frustration gave way to worry.

She felt Corrin’s hand on her shoulder. “Rhaj, check the stables, then keep an eye on the door,” she said. “I’ll check the rest of the house.”

Rhajat nodded, and stepped out of the house, turning to head to the stables. The smell was not nearly as bad as she anticipated, as though it had been cleaned recently. Poking her head through the door, she examined the animals. There were two horses and three cows, their pens stocked with fresh feed. They all appeared content. If something had happened, it didn’t happen here. Just to be certain though, Rhajat conjured a flame in the palm of her hand, lighting up the stables. Her suspicions were confirmed; they had indeed been recently cleaned. Alexandra couldn’t have been far away. Perhaps she had caught her neighbor encroaching on her land before she arrived?

Then came the sound of Corrin’s scream. She immediately forgot everything else; right now there was only one thing that mattered. She dashed back to the house as quickly as she could, one hand placed on top of her scrolls to face whatever danger was in there. She burst through the front door, and scanned left to right, but found no intruder. Rather, she saw Corrin standing outside another room.

“Corrin! What happened? I ran as soon as I heard you.”

Corrin blushed. “Oh! You heard that, huh? I was just startled, honest!”

“Startled by what?”

“Well… you better see for yourself.”

Rhajat hurried over to the bedroom and stopped dead in her tracks. On the bed was Alexandra, curled up in the fetal position, the sheets soaked with blood from a wound in her stomach. Rhajat had always been more fascinated than appalled by scenes like this, but with the resemblance she bore to mother… She turned away quickly. “Gods, that’s terrible.”

“I know, love,” said Corrin, placing a reassuring hand on Rhajat’s back. It was just like her to be so loving, even when she was shaken herself. “Are you okay?”

She took a few moments to breathe deeply. “I’m fine, it’s just… well, she looks li-“

“I know. I noticed it too.”

Taking one last deep breath, Rhajat looked back at the body. Her eyes were wide open, and though any trace of life had left her body, Rhajat swore that she could see a look of terror in those glassy eyes. She clenched her fists. Even promising to come the same day, they had been too damned late to help her. Immediately, her thoughts turned to who could have done this, and what she was going to do to them once she found them.

She already knew the right place to start.

“Corrin.”

“Yes, love?”

“Any idea where that neighbor of hers is?”

“I saw another farmhouse just a bit north of here. That’s the only one within a mile, so I guess that must be the one. Why are you worried about the dispute now, though?”

Rhajat started for the door. “I think I know who’s responsible for this,” she spat, her voice even colder than usual. Before she could make it to the entrance, she felt Corrin’s hand on her arm.

“Wait!” She pleaded, tugging on Rhajat’s arm. “I know they had problems, but we need to be sure before we act.  We can’t just hand down judgment without any sort of examination. That’s something _he_ would do.”

Rhajat grit her teeth. Though she wanted to act now, Corrin had a point. Rhajat had heard the stories and seen firsthand what _he_ was like, and why her beloved would never want to be like that. “Right. So what do we do then?”

Corrin paused for a moment before responding. “We cover up the body, then we go to the neighbor, but we go to investigate. We know they had the motive to do this, but there are more pieces to the puzzle than that. We’ll ask him some questions, and then we’ll know our next move.”

Rhajat smirked. Whoever this neighbor was, if they did know anything or did have anything to do with what happened, she knew exactly how to get them to talk. She and Corrin might have been too late today but she swore to the Dark Gods that they would do right by Alexandra, no matter what it would take.


End file.
